


The Things We Do: For Money

by Riplae, Sy (Sycophantism)



Series: The Things We Do [1]
Category: The Things We Do
Genre: Cover Art, Original Fiction, Science Fiction, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 19:56:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11813097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riplae/pseuds/Riplae, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sycophantism/pseuds/Sy
Summary: Cipher is a small-time thief making a living by hocking trinkets he’s picked from pockets or, in this case, pilfered from pirates. When he discovers that the ring he’s stolen is haunted by a long-dead pirate captain called Blackburn, he strikes out on the long and arduous journey of finding a buyer for the ring that’ll simultaneously make him filthy rich and meet Blackburn’s standards for a permanent host.





	The Things We Do: For Money

**Author's Note:**

> The time has finally come! "The Things We Do" is making its debut on [Tumblr@TheThingsWeDoRP](https://thethingswedorp.tumblr.com/) and here on AO3. 
> 
> TTWD is a roleplay-turned-story made by myself and @Riplae, following the hijinks of Cipher and Blackburn as they adventure across the universe. There’ll be badass space pirates, creepy mad scientists, and adorable alien friends. What more could you ask for?
> 
> Arc 1, "For Money," is being posted in its entirety as an introduction to the series! We hope you enjoy!

Stealing from a pirate, while not the most ill-advised thing Cipher had ever done, was still pretty high on that list. And it was a long list. It was a list that included things like trying to pet automaton guard hounds and telling bold-faced lies to someone who had you in a chokehold. But for a thief like him, it was all about the payoff. And the payoff of stealing from a pirate was, more often than not, fucking stellar. Even if the compromise was that the consequences could be not-so-stellar. Like, facing-down-a-gun not-so-stellar.

But Cipher wouldn't still be around if he wasn’t a good thief, and darting through the crowd of the overpopulated port, he was feeling like a pretty damn good thief. The sack slung over his shoulder wasn't as full as he'd like it to be, but hearing someone shout about having their ring stolen had been his cue to get the hell outta dodge. Besides, pirates tended to carry smaller valuables that didn't diminish in worth as they did in size.

Darting through an overhang without slowing, he glanced over his shoulder before turning the corner. There were two angry-looking gents standing on their gangplank, glaring into the crowd. The glance in his direction was last-minute enough that Cipher couldn't tell if he'd been spotted, but he erred on the side of caution and began the maze-like journey to far side of the harbor.

One did not steal from notoriously barbarous sorts without having a trustworthy escape route, and Cipher had spent a fair few days mapping this particular port in his mind for just such a heist. It would mean that he'd be leaving much earlier than planned, but the loot he'd just swiped was gonna make up for any lost time.

Slowing his pace to a trot as he weaved through the crowded marketplace, Cipher gave a cursory glance to the bottleneck that led from the piers to the rialto. With no burly pillaging-looking types in sight, he was confident enough to skulk along the back end of a warehouse without suspicion. When shrouded in the overcast of a nearby stall, he ducked past the wooden pallet propped against the wall that worked to conceal a crumbling hole. And with that, he was home.

Scaling a drop-down ladder to the catwalks above, he threw himself down against the hay-stuffed burlap he'd been calling a chair for the last week and shrugged off his loot bag. Time to inspect the goods.

That enraged shout for the ring still rang in his ears, and so he fished around for that first, finally withdrawing the little pretty. It didn't look like anything so special, and he turned it in his grasp, pursing his lips.

The thing was freshly polished, glistening under what little light lingered in Cipher’s dwelling. At a glance, it seemed no more than an iridescent band with foreign symbols etched into its glossy metallic surface. But as it sat in the thief's palm, there was a peculiar glow and energy that resonated from the trinket. It drew in the heat around it and left nothing but cold air.

"Pretty," he hummed, holding it up toward the light slanting in through the rafters from a hole in the ceiling. Peering through the ring, he eventually settled it in his palm, running his thumb over the rim. It still wasn't anything _special_ in his opinion, but hey, that's what he had appraisers for. The exotic writing might mean it had some historical value, he mused.

Switching it to his other hand and giving the first a shake, he blinked at the chill it left on his palm. "Weird..." Holding it against his cheek, he felt the warmth drain, quickly tugging it away. "Spooky," he clarified in surprise. Flicking it into the air, he caught it in his palm, thoughtful, before finally sliding it onto his middle finger and holding his arm out to admire it.

The glow that encased the bauble wavered in response to its new wearer, a ghostly light seeping from the text inscribed along its exterior. Leaning in to inspect the light, fascinated, he watched as his hand was enveloped in the ring’s otherworldly aura and atop it a new, larger, translucent and clawed hand manifested. Curiosity blossomed into delight at the sight, making his eyes glitter. Was this some kind of high-tech weapon? It'd be nice to upgrade from his older tekko-kagi. What were the chances of stumbling across the exact right kind of weapon that he was proficient in? Lucky.

Involuntarily, Cipher's fingers wiggled.

Delight shattered into alarm when his fingers moved without his say so. Jerking his hand closer, he turned it over, staring at the palm and flexing them experimentally. Beneath the spectral glove, he watched his hand twitch whilst it made an attempt to move. Instead, the young man's middle finger and thumb curled together and flicked the thief's nose as he pulled the hand closer.

"Ow!" Recoiling in surprise, Cipher glared, confusion mingling with disbelief. "What the hell?" Shooting a look around the warehouse to make sure he wasn't being pranked by some remote muscle-controlling shit, he finally stared at his hand again. Then, compulsively, he reached for the ring to yank it off.

In response, the possessed hand curled into a firm fist, jabbing Cipher's approaching paw with its claw. " _Ah_ -ah," a deep disembodied voice purred, a chuckle following shortly after.

"Ah--!" Freezing, Cipher jerked his head around, scrambling to his feet to find the source of the voice. With no one as much as in the warehouse, he backed himself against the wall, eyes darting warily. "Who's there?" He drew his distorted hand closer, cradling it against his chest as nerves sparked along his spine.

He could feel the icy claws of his haunted hand curl eagerly into his chest. Jerking his arm away with a hiss, he grasped at his shirt while staring at his traitorous hand.

"You stole my ring, you little thief!" The voice boomed beside Cipher. Strangely enough, whoever it was sounded amused more than angry.

Recoiling from the voice, he backed away from it, hunkered down and looking ready to bolt. "I-- What the hell is going on?" He fought to close his hand, gritting his teeth at the exertion of it.

The hand fought back, then eventually submitted to Cipher's efforts. As the thief backed away he bumped into something just as cold as the ring he put on moments ago.

"Shit!" Leaping forward, grabbing his repossessed hand to clutch it against himself, he whirled around to back away from whatever he'd bumped into.

A man-- No, an... alien? A ghost? Definitely a ghost. A _tall_ ghost. But whatever it was the ghost _of_ was _definitely_ not human. It smiled down at Cipher, leaning over to meet the young man's gaze from underneath its wide-rimmed and feathered hat. Its only visible eye glanced towards the ledge Cipher was backing dangerously close to.

Pupils dilating at the sight, Cipher took a step farther back, only to stop at the stranger's notice. A short glance behind him explained why, and he shifted a wary look toward the ghost, reaching back to grab the railing. "So what're you supposed to be?" he asked, keeping his reclaimed hand fisted and pressed against his stomach, mind preoccupied with keeping it under control.

"Your new guardian angel," the ghost replied with a grin, plucking his hat from his head to press it against his chest and bow before the young thief. He was obviously missing a hand, which would explain the one possessing Ciphers own.

Blinking, Cipher eased his posture just a bit, just enough to be noticed. Tension still thrummed through his muscles, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. "... Okay." He didn't sound convinced, but he wasn't going to argue the point. "Right." Eyeing the missing hand, he withdrew his own from his stomach, staring at the parallels between the apparition around it and the ghost's other hand. "... You're the one who flicked me," he accused, brows furrowing.

Straightening, the ghost raised his shoulders with a wider grin. "Guilty as charged," he hummed. In the brief moment the specter wasn't wearing his hat, Cipher could catch a better look at his face. His only visible eye from seconds prior was indeed the phantom's only eye-- the other was shrouded underneath what looked to be awful scarring.

Huh. Cipher frowned, visibly displeased with the confession. "And I'm guessing this is your hand goonin' over mine?" he demanded, raising the hand in question with some difficulty. "What is this, some possession shtick?" The sarcasm is thick in his voice.

The ghost pulled its hat back on with a soft laugh and a shake of his head. "You're adorable."

Cipher made a face in response to the comment. "True as that may be," he groused, "I asked you a question, bub." Sidling off to the side, back toward his makeshift pillow fort, he kept his glower on the ghost. "What's the deal here? I gotta return the ring or I'm gonna be haunted for the rest of eternity?"

The ghost followed, or more accurately, was pulled along as Cipher attempted to put distance between them. "Ugh.” He waved a hand, frowning at the idea. All eternity stuck with a scruffy little thief. How awful. "You don't have to return me, not if you don't want to. You're welcome to pass me onto someone else."

Surprised and perking up, Cipher stopped over a burlap sack, staring at the creature. He made a noise in his throat at the thought of returning the ring (and its apparent hitchhiker) to the pirate. Yeah, no, he liked his head firmly attached to his shoulders, thank you.

Passing it along to someone else, though, that set off a whole new array of objections in his mind. Staring at the ring with something akin to awe, he ran a thumb over the surface. "Hell no," he laughed, eyes dancing as he stole a glance at the ghost. "You kidding? A bona fide ghost, literally apparently attached to a ring. This must be worth a _fortune_ among some occultists or something." The thought of money, money, money was rampant in his mind. He actually knew about a market that dealt in the supernatural; potions and charms, divination, clairvoyants, the works. And a hub the size of that one didn't come about without some high demand. "I'm gonna be rich!"

The ghost pursed his lips, eye narrowing at the greedy little criminal in possession of his ring. Of... himself. Handing it, him, over to an occultist... could end up with him being banished to the void. Or worse... locked away... _Again_. "Or..." he spoke up, "You could keep me... and your heists would be all the more fruitful."

Inclining his head toward the ghost, Cipher studied him. "Fruitful, you say?" he hummed, looking down at the ring and making a new attempt to slide it off. "What, you lucky or something?"

The ghost curled his lip as he forced Cipher to clench his hand once more. Shuddering at the sensation of someone else closing his hand, Cipher cut a glare toward the ghost as he got comfortable atop a non-existent chair beside the thief. Folding his leg, he stretched an arm across Cipher's shoulders, watching him startle at the casual embrace. "Even better... I'm _powerful_." He grinned, clenching the only hand attached to his form at the moment. "With your brain and my brawn, we'd be an unstoppable feat. Cutting through worthy foes and stripping them of their riches. Imagine the possibilities."

"... Yeah, that sounds like some villainy soliloquy bullshit to me," Cipher said flatly, ducking from under the ghost's arm. "Besides, I honestly don't have much brains." He gave himself a knock on the head. "And if this puppy is worth half what I think, I won't need to bother thieving anymore." Cipher's phantom companion blinked in surprise as he watched the thief avoid both his arm and his charms. How _dare_ he-- What kind of _idiot_ just-- 'No _brains_ ' his right eye--

A shout from the market had him glancing toward the wall, then bending over to pull aside a corked hole, peeking out. Uff. Pirates were already this far.

"Time to go," he announced, kicking a hay sack over and gathering up his backpack. "Also, hey, you wanna fuck off and gimme my hand back?" He furrowed his brows at the ghost, lifting his possessed arm for emphasis.

The specter took a deep breath, boots returning to the solid floor. He folded his arms, tapping his teeth with his available claw as he mused Cipher's question. "Let me think... _No_ ," he spat grumpily.

Stopping mid-step, Cipher planted his boot and turned around to face the ghost. "Excuse you? I kinda need it for, y'know, escaping the jaws of sure death." He jabbed a finger toward the wall, presumably indicating the danger beyond it.

"Ooo! That certainly sounds like a personal problem." The spirit wore a smile, half-lidding his eye at the thief.

Staring for a long while, Cipher eventually scowled and dropped his bag, grabbing his possessed hand and wrestling to open it and pry off the ring.

The hand curled up so tight the ghost's claws began to dig into Cipher's poor palm. On pure reflex his free hand jerked away as he flinched at the unexpected pain. "Mmn, tick tock, tick tock, little thief."

"Shit," he muttered, eyes flicking up at the ghost's taunt. As much as he wanted to snipe back, the sound of shouting from the adjacent warehouse had him glancing nervously toward the wall. "... Shit," he repeated, grabbing his bag and darting across the catwalk. As much as he wanted to slide down, with one hand closed into a fist it wasn't the best idea, and so he followed the grating until the end, crouching to lessen the drop before hopping to the main floor. The boxes were stacked high enough that, for someone as agile as he, it was an easy landing. "Maybe I'll find a fuckin' palm-reader on the next port and hock you to them," he groused, following the wall of the warehouse before peering around the corner, making sure the coast was clear, and darting into the crowd.

"Oh no, a _palm-reader?_ I'm quaking in my boots, what _ever_ shall I do." Cipher's unsought company faded from view, but the hand remained.

Glancing back to where the voice had vanished, Cipher frowned, then looked at his hand. Still spooky. Still not properly obeying his commands. Scowling, he focused on his escape, dancing through the crowd like it was choreographed. His getaway wasn't due to leave for another fifteen minutes, but the pirates probably wouldn't start searching the ships until they finished with the warehouses. And there were a lot of those.

Sneaking one last look over his shoulder, Cipher trotted around the gangplank of a courier ship, then quickly darted up and into the belly of the beast.

Sneaking around overworked labourers was easy, and the crew was too busy preparing for ship-off to be looking for any stowaways. Besides, it was a big enough ship that searching the hull was a ludicrous demand.

And the hull was where he went, sneaking along in the shadows until he reached an abandoned section of storage containers. Eyeing a shrouded space a few containers up, he took a step forward, then stopped. "... I need both hands." He looked down at the ghostly overlay on his hand. "I need to climb this, you spooky bastard, give it back."

"With that tone, I think it'd be funnier to watch you scale these crates with _one_ hand.” Cipher scowled at the ghost. Or--" The phantom gasped, "It would be _hysterical_ to watch you climb with one hand _broken!_ " Annoyance was replaced with confusion, then alarm as Cipher's index finger uncurled and began to bend back awkwardly.

The sudden, unprecedented flexibility of his finger had him sucking in a breath, scrambling to grab the finger with his free hand and keep it in place. "What?! No! _What?!_ " While Cipher held one finger, his pinkie straightened and began twisting unnaturally. "Fuck fuck," Cipher gasped, fumbling to grab all four of his fingers in his free hand.

"I could do one finger at a time. Or... _Ooo_..." The air around the thief's struggling hands grew uncomfortably cold before he could feel the specter hand closing in on his own, steadily crushing it.

The chill made Cipher jolt, then yank on his hand with a muffled sound of dread. "Okay, okay, c'mon, we can talk it out," he urged, voice cracking as pain flared through his hands. "Just stop, shit--"

The aching pressure subsided, and Cipher's hand curled back into a normal fist. Yanking his hand closer to himself and nursing it against his chest, he took a deep breath. "I'm _listening_...~" The ghost hummed, satisfied with the thief's pleas.

Cipher shot a glare at the ghost. "Fuck. That was totally unnecessary, you sadist. What d'you even want?"

The ghost materialized, leaning casually against one of the many crates stacked around them as he twirled his accessible hand. "So here's my deal," he began, a flick of his wrist sending Cipher floating up. Stifling a yelp as he started floating, Cipher twisted momentarily before realizing he wasn't in imminent danger. The phantom raised him by his haunted hand and Cipher went slack in the strange grip, waiting until there was something underfoot and crouched down, appraising their surroundings to make sure no one had seen. Situated at his desired spot, the spirit appeared beside him. "I'd rather my soul _not_ be confined in a piece of jewelry... But to break the seal I need another soul and another body."

Straightening up and facing the ghost again, he nodded at the first part, and stopped nodding at the second. "Ahaha. You want my soul and body? Sorry, that's a no-go. I've got a lot I'm willing to barter, but those two are--" Pausing, thoughtful, he corrected, "Well, one of those isn't something I'm willing to trade. And it's my soul." Another contemplative moment of consideration, brows furrowed, before he finally added, "Though in this context, my body isn't either." Other contexts, it depended on the circumstance. Hey, he wasn't gonna turn his nose up at getting paid for sex.

" _No_ , I don't want _your_ damned soul and body," the ghost snapped. He took a moment to recollect himself and his temper, clearing his throat and giving a soft tug at the lapels of his jacket. "Not anymore, anyway. Though, if you passed me onto someone _else_... my ring will become vacant, but it'll still be just as valuable."

Cipher looked insulted, raising a hand to his heart. "What's _wrong_ with my soul and body?" he groused, practically pouting. Completely missing everything else. Priorities, Cipher.

The ghost's free hand smacked against his own face, breath hitching as he bared his teeth in a snarl, a familiar pressure returning to Cipher's possessed hand. "My patience wears _thin_ with you _boy._ " He dragged his hand down with a grumble.

Sucking in a breath, Cipher scrabbled at his hand, muttering, "Okay, okay!! Fuck! Fine! It was an honest question!" Gritting his teeth, he gripped the ring, willing the pain away. "How the hell do I get rid of you then?" Even as he asked, his mind was turning over the opposite thought; if he got rid of the ghost, then the ring was just a ring. Valuable, yes, but not _just_ as valuable as being a supernatural relic with an actual, tangible spirit tethered to it.

"Like I said... Pass me to someone else." The ghost folded his arms, watching Cipher fumble and coddle his throbbing hand.

Cipher made a face. "Who else?" He gestured toward the other side of the hull where more crates were being loaded in. "And how'm I supposed to get the ring back when I do? Are you going to possess them?" Though that raised a whole new question; why _not_ Cipher's body? Wait, that was the same old question. Cipher squinted thoughtfully.

"Anyone, preferably someone desperate for power." The ghost rubbed at his eye with a yawn. "I'll give you back the ring... as soon as I have full control of their body," he muttered. It was in that moment Cipher's possessed hand finally began to relax and regain its usual warmth. The clawed shape encasing it faltered and eventually faded into nothing.

Cipher squeezed his hand shut immediately, tugging it closer. Then, impulsively, he yanked the ring off, eyes darting up to see if the ghost would vanish.

Just like that, the ghost's form was swept away by a gust of wind passing through a cracked porthole nearby, and the ring's glow faded with him, into the darkness of Cipher’s chosen spot to settle for the ride.

Letting out an unsteady huff of relief, Cipher pocketed the ring and clambered up another level just to spite the ghost's assistance. Settling down with a glance around, he pulled his bag around to sort through it. "Dunno if you can still hear me," he said after a moment, voice hushed as he worked, "But you're kind of an ass." Snorting, he tried not to look at the pouch he'd tucked the haunted relic into. No reason to ever put that thing on again, he told himself. Cool as it was, getting his fingers broken by some crotchety dead alien was not something he'd consider fun.

* * *

The thing about stowing away on trading charters is that some of the crew didn't have a very kind regard for you. Especially not when you were appraising obviously-stolen loot. "Hey!" The sharp shout had Cipher's head jerking up in alarm. It had been a rough night of sleep for him with the nightmares of ghosts in his mind, and the dragging boredom of the day had compelled him to try recounting his goodies from the heist the day before. Not a great position to be caught in by a crewman glaring down at him from a maintenance hatch overlooking the storage area.

"Uh. Heeey," he responded, offering a wince and a smile as he waved. "Listen, sorry f--"

They didn't want to hear it. Dropping down to the small catwalk overhead, the crewman withdrew a fucking pistol and shot at him. Yelping, Cipher scrambled to his feet and threw himself down between the crates, flattening back against one to put it between himself and the shooter. "There's no need for that!" he called, reaching for his weapons and realizing he'd discarded his belt the night before. Fuck!

"Come out, you rat," was the response as he heard the gun hum as it recharged. Holy shit.

"You gonna shoot me if I do?"

"Maybe."

Cipher blinked. "Why would you be honest about that? Now I'm definitely not coming out."

"Some of us have a code of honour."

"Which includes telling the truth to thieves you're trying to killed while they're unarmed," he said dryly.

There was a silence, and Cipher stiffened, daring to peek around the corner. No sight of him.

A gunshot and agony searing down his arm told Cipher why. "No. Just a distraction," the crewman said, jumping down from the crate above him. Hitting the ground hard, Cipher shoved himself backward with a gasp, grabbing the bloody mess of his shoulder. Holy shit. He couldn't move his fingers. And the gun rising to meet his face told him he wouldn't be moving much else soon, either.

Rolling, Cipher let himself drop off the edge of the crate. Curling like a cat, he landed on three limbs, scrambling to round a corner before the crewman could follow. Then, knees hitting the ground as a new lance of pain shot through his arm, he tucked himself into a corner and sucked in a shuddering breath of air. Fuck. He needed something. A weapon, anything--

_Preferably someone desperate for power_. Cipher thought he qualified in the moment, though he doubted it was what the ghost had in mind.

"I'm not givin' you my soul or my body or _whatever_ ," he hissed, fumbling with his pouch and yanking the ring out. "But you get me out of this in one piece and I'll hock ya to the richest bastard who will." Flinching as he grasped his unfeeling fingers, slick from the blood pouring down his arm, he slid the ring onto his finger as the crewman stepped around the corner and lifted his gun once more.

The fresh crimson pouring down the desperate thief's arm kissed the band as it was slid into place. The ring shimmered, and for a moment it was still.

Until Cipher's blood began to wisp into the runes etched into the trinkets frame, greedily drawing in every last drop that coated his arm. Attention entirely absorbed by the gun being lifted towards his face, Cipher shied back, breath catching in his throat. And, feeling the familiar chill on his hand, he threw his arm up, squeezing his eyes shut.

Like puzzle pieces, the ghost’s familiar hand assembled itself around Cipher's own, but instead it continued up the young man's arm, across his chest and further. The sound of the impact, but the lack of pain, had his eyes flying back open in time to see the shield passing over his shoulder. Jerking his arm down and staring at it as it crawled higher, he said, "What, wait--" It crept up his neck and he sucked in a deep breath before he lost sight entirely.

Cipher found himself cold and unable to move or to see, wrapped up in what could only be described as a sort of armor. Although some senses were lost, he could make out sound and feel his surroundings, or more importantly, the thing controlling him. It forced Cipher's body to take in a lungful of the ship’s musky air, and hummed as it looked over Cipher's hands lingering inside its own.

Disoriented, confusion mingling with that edge of fear in his gut, Cipher felt his body moving beyond his realm of sight or control. "What's going on?" he managed to ask.

The crewman, visibly perturbed but undeterred, lined up the shot once more and pulled the trigger. The shot didn't land its target.

The thing cloaking the stowaway grabbed the barrel of the man's weapon and aimed it elsewhere. A grin flashed from underneath the rim of the spectral’s hat, and it chuckled, the gun's metal crunching as the barrel was crushed shut by the thing’s bare hand. The crewman recoiled, seeming to realize the threat of the matter, and released the gun, backpedaling.

" _What's going on?_ " Cipher repeated, voice sharp with alarm as he felt the movement, heard the crunching.

It tossed the gun aside and grabbed the front of the crewman's shirt, driving its hand deep into the poor fellow’s gut with a sigh. "You can't even allow me a moment's peace to impale the prick who was shooting at you?" it finally replied. Cipher startled at the reply. "’ _What's going ooon??_ ’" it repeated in a higher pitched, mocking tone.

Indignant, he snapped back, "I'm blind! My body is moving without me telling it to! And a second ago I had a gun aimed at my face! So how about you stop being a bitch and tell me _what the fuck is going on?!_ "

The phantom giggled, strangely enough, wiggling its blood soaked claws with a delighted hum as it watched the crewman's life trickle away at its boots. "You wanted help, did you not?" it responded, kneeling to check the now dead crewman for anything useful. Instead it found itself itching to delve further into the fresh corpse like some kid wanting to dip their entire hands into a pool of fingerpaints. _Very_ tempting...

Still trying to catch his breath, Cipher closed his eyes in the darkness, heart rattling around in his chest. "Yeah," he responded distantly, before straining to hear again. "What's happening? Is the guy gone? I-- I need to check my arm." Getting shot straight down from the shoulder was a new one, and he didn't even want to know how far down it had traveled in his arm, what damage it had done. The thought of losing use of it had shaken him.

" _Dead_ describes him more accurately," the ghost answered dryly, eyeing a few gold the crewman had tucked away in his jacket before stuffing the coins in Cipher's pocket.

"Oh." Dead. Huh. "Good," he muttered. That's what you get for shooting at a guy without giving him a chance to talk. Prick.

"Your arm is fine, don't worry about it." It spoke again, rising from its knees and managing to pull out the bullet shot into its forearm mere minutes ago with its claws. It flicked the shell aside and stepped over the body.

The reassurance had Cipher perking up. "What, really? You can heal that too?" Armour, healing, this was turning into a good gig. Lucky break he snagged that ring.

"You could say that." It smiled, looking to Cipher's injured arm underneath its form. It was treated for the most part, enough to toss the possibility of amputation out the window. But some of it was left to bleed, to feed the ghost’s ring. "Say..." It hummed, retracing Cipher's steps to scoop up his bag of loot and other things. "I don't believe we've properly introduced ourselves."

Despite the nerves that came with being blind even while his body was moving, Cipher didn't yet protest the continued possession. He wanted a bit of time for his heart to stop pounding from the close call. "You'd be right. Name's Cipher."

"Pleasure to meet... or... possess you, Cipher. I'm Blackburn." The ghost pressed a hand to his hip as he looked around. "Where are we?"

"Likewise, Blackie." That nickname... Sparked _something_ that the ghost couldn't quite put his claw on. "Charter ship, en route to Te'ali. Nice little hub in the Fraut system, has the most layovers than any planet I've been to. It's got connections to at least thirty-two different systems." He gave his arm an experimental tug, trying to see how much he could move in this little prison of his. "Including Liminas. Best place to map a route this side of-- well, anywhere."

The heels of Blackburn's boots clicked against the floorboards as he started towards the nearest exit, feeling his arm twitch in response to his host’s curiosity.

The twitch was something, and Cipher worked with it, trying to reach up. The arm obeyed, up until Blackburn forced it back down to his side. Pouting, Cipher readied to complain, only to stop, attention seized by their movements. "Where are you going?" he asked, hyper-aware of his blindness once more.

Rolling his eye Blackburn scoffed, "I'm going up to the Captain's quarters to have tea and crumpets, _obviously_."

Cipher jerked, immediately fighting to still his legs. "Uh, no?! We're _stowaways_ , that means we sit in the hull quietly and wait for port!"

Blackburn stumbled as his legs straightened out awkwardly in Cipher's attempt to stop his body. "Why wait for port when I can just break the Captains neck and _steal_ the ship?"

"I'm a thief, not a pirate!!" Cipher fought to retake control, gritting his teeth. "I don't want the damn ship, I want to travel unnoticed and unpursued!"

Cipher's struggling had Blackburn digging his claws into the nearest beam to steady himself from falling over, straining his form to keep the thief's limbs in check. "S-Stop this, idiot!"

Cipher growled low in his throat, straining his limbs. "Hell no. Give my body back." As much as he appreciated having his ass bailed out of a tight situation, he wasn't gonna let the ghost put him right back into one. A _bigger_ one, for fuck's sake, Blackburn was gonna get the authorities on his trail!

Blackburn snarled, claws dragging long streaks down the beams sides as he fell onto his knees. "FINE! Fine, I won't go up! Just stop _fighting_ me!"

Eyes narrowing, Cipher didn't relent for a long moment, thinking. After a few heavy beats of silence, though, fatigue crept in and he slowly let his muscles go lax, taking a deep breath. "Fine."

Blackburn grumbled and cursed underneath his breath, folding his arms and leaning against a crate beside them. "Spoilsport," he snapped, puffing the drooping feather on his hat from his gaze.

Scowling, Cipher slumped in his encasement, glaring into the blackness. "You about spoiled my whole damn life with that stunt, so don't you call _me_ a spoilsport."

The former pirate mouthed Cipher's words silently, carelessly tossing the thief's bag aside before letting his hands fall and rest his lap. Blackburn sat wishing he could speed up the rings process.

The moving-without-wanting-to thing was getting disorienting, and Cipher gave a little twitch toward his fingers. "Seriously though, can I get my body back now? Deal's done, you saved my ass, I'll make sure to sell you to some power-hungry prick."

Blackburn fiddled with his ring around Cipher's finger, musing whether or not the thief's deal was worth his time now. Granted, he had control at the moment but he knew Cipher wouldn't go without a fight, which could interrupt the ring’s process, and possibly leave Blackburn without _any_ deal... "I haven't earned a ‘ _please_ ’ from you, or even a ' _thank you_ , you spooky bastard'?"

Groaning, the thief rolled his eyes, but there was a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "' _Thank you, you spooky bastard_ '," he recited obediently, pitching his voice to imitate Blackburn's. But it was in good humour as he relaxed incrementally.

The ghost chuckled, his form finally submitting to Cipher's request and receding back into the ring it flourished from. "For the record..." Blackburn murmured as he faded, bringing the thief's hand up to flick Cipher’s own nose in those last seconds of control. "When you're not wearing my ring, I in fact _can_ still hear you, you ass."

Cipher considered the laugh a victory, until he was flicking his own nose again, squawking indignantly. "Oh." Equal parts sheepish to be caught and relieved to be back in control, Cipher shrugged. "Well… You did kind of literally threaten to snap my fingers," he said, gathering up his bag and glancing around. "I mean, I wasn't _wrong_."

"I never said you were," Blackburn replied quietly, settling into his new host.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow us on Tumblr [@TheThingsWeDoRP](https://thethingswedorp.tumblr.com/) for character bios, art, Q&As, and more!


End file.
